The 2007 Lifesaving Conference on the Australian Gold Coast discussed a number of initiatives including the new beach management course, developed by the Australian Lifesaving Academy.
The 2007 Lifesaving Conference on the Australian Gold Coast discussed a number of initiatives including the new beach management course, developed by the Australian Lifesaving Academy.
More than 300 surf lifesavers from around the country came together to discuss relevant issues and practices surrounding surf lifesaving as well as look at beach management heading into the future.
A new initiative unveiled on the weekend was the first edition of the Australian Coastal Public Safety Guidelines’.
The first of its kind, these guidelines bring together a number of best practice coastal management standards that will assist local, state and federal government land management agencies, and other organisations to provide safer aquatic environments for the community.
Education was also a major focus, as the Australian Lifesaving Academy gears up to reach more people than ever before with vital surf safety messages as well as providing state-of-the-art training for surf lifesavers.
SLSA’s Lifesaving Manager, Ben Whibley said the conference was a huge success and has laid a strong foundation to help take the organisation forward.
“The conference was about refining what works well and looking at ways to improve our beach safety standards, he said.
“For the past 100 years we have set the benchmark in aquatic safety and looking into the future, we want to be on the cutting edge of lifesaving service delivery and beach safety. Beach management is more than just about the red and yellow flags on the beach. It encompasses all aspects of lifesaving including operational support services, better use of technology, community education, surf lifesaver training and much more.
“Australian beaches continue to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, therefore we need to be continually developing our standards and practices to ensure our beaches remain among the safest, he said.